Vy 


IN  MEMORIAM 


ij|  \ht 

Mmm  of  nus® 

RICHARD  SALTER  STORRS 


WASHINGTON 

1885 


Reprinted,  by  permission,  from  the  American  Annals  of  the 
Deaf  and  Dumb,  April,  1885. 


I l?  £.'60. 


6 


Ml  niMUtlf 


Of  Til 

flKIVFSillY  BF ILUNQIS 


RICHARD  SALTER  STORRS. 


When  an  experienced  and  successful  teacher  falls  from  the 
ranks  of  his  professional  brethren,  and  especially  when  such  an 
one  was  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  the  loss  to  the  rising  gener- 
ation is  great,  and  doubly  great  when  that  teacher  had  stood 
for  years  in  the  very  front  rank  in  a special  and  peculiar  kind 
of  instruction.  Such  a loss  the  profession  of  deaf-mute  teach- 
ing has  sustained  in  the  death  of  Mr.  R.  S.  Storrs — one  of  its  most 
shining  lights — who  died  at  Longmeadow,  Mass.,  Aug.  31st, 


1884. 


Richard  Salter  Storrs  was  born  at  Amherst,  Mass.,  Sept. 
29th,  1830.  When  he  was  four  years  old,  his  parents  moved 
to  Longmeadow,  which  was  thenceforth  the  family  home. 

Of  Mr.  Storrs  as  a boy  his  sister  writes : “ He  was  very 
sensitive  and  pure-minded,  seldom  caring  to  share  in  the 
rough  sports  of  those  of  his  own  age.  A book  was  his  meat 
and  his  drink,  and  I had  literally  to  urge  him  to  out-of-door 


life.  * * 


“ The  larger  part  of  his  boyhood  was  passed  at  Braintree, 
[in  the  family  of  his  uncle,  Dr.  Richard  S.  Storrs,]  where  he 
was  most  lovingly  cared  for,  so  that  he  always  cherished  our 
uncle  and  aunt  as  his  second  parents.” 

A schoolmate  of  his  boyhood  informs  the  writer  that  Salter 
Storrs,  as  he  was  called,  was  then,  as  ever  after,  painstaking, 
thorough,  faithful,  and  conscientious  in  everything  which  he 
undertook,  and,  intellectually,  stood  head  and  shoulders  above 
those  of  his  own  age.  A keen  observer,  of  quick  sympathies, 
abounding  in  wit  and  humor,  and  greatly  relishing  a kindly 
joke,  even  when  it  bore  most  heavily  upon  himself,  he  was  a 


,0  5455  5 


4 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


general  favorite  among  his  school-fellows.  They  had  great 
respect  for  his  ability,  and  looked  to  him  as  a champion  of  their 
boyish  rights.  Not  a few  times,  when  an  irritated  teacher  had 
laid  some  restriction  upon  their  liberty,  which  they  considered 
unjust,  did  they  secure -him  as  an  advocate  of  their  cause,  and 
seldom  did  his  arguments  fail  to  gain  their  case  and  secure  the 
removal  of  the  restriction. 

He  was  born  a logician,  and  he  delighted  in  a battle  of  words 
in  a righteous  cause.  In  after  years  it  was  an  amusement,  in 
which  he  often  indulged  among  his  friends,  to  assume  some  false 
premise  and  argue  from  that  standpoint,  merefy  to  test  the 
quality  of  his  adversary’s  steel, — and  one  must  hold  a sharp 
weapon  and  handle  it  with  rare  skill  to  hold  his  ground  against 
him. 

From  Braintree  Salter  Storrs  passed  to  Williston  Seminary, 
at  East  Hampton,  where  he  was  fitted  for  Amherst  College, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1852,  with  the  highest  honors 
of  his  class.  Of  his  course  as  a student  his  college  classmate 
and  life-long  friend,  his  Jonathan,  the  Rev.  John  M.  Greene, 
D.  D.,  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  thus  writes : 

“It  was  my  good  fortune  to  form  the  acquaintance  of  Richard 
Salter  Storrs,  of  Longmeadow,  in  the  autumn  of  1848.  At  that 
time  I entered  the  senior  class  in  Williston  Seminary  under  the 
instruction  of  Luther  Wright,  A.  M.,  the  principal  of  the  school. 
Mr.  Storrs  was  a relative  of  Mr.  Wright  and  boarded  in  his 
family.  Well  do  I remember  how  that  youthful,  lad- like  young 
man  impressed  me.  His  eye  was  sharp  and  keen  as  a diamond. 
His  head  was  plump  and  round,  every  good  phrenological 
bump  being  at  a high  mark.  And  I recall  distinctly  the 
impression  which  he  made  on  me  at  his  first  recitations  in  the 
class. 

“When  Mr.  Storrs  rose  to  recite  Virgil  or  Cicero  or  Xenophon, 
in  that  class  of  thirty-two  young  men  there  was  not  a listless 
student  on  the  seats.  There  was  something  about  his  manner 
of  reciting  which  roused  the  dullest  scholar  present  into  atten- 
tion. It  was  not  nervousness.  It  was  not  any  strangeness  of 
tone  or  manner.  It  was  not  any  swell  or  bombast  such  as  I 
remember  one  or  two  of  the  class  had.  For  Mr.  Storrs  was 
small  in  bodily  stature,  unobtrusive  in  manner,  gentle  as  a 
zephyr  in  his  deportment.  The  something  about  him  which 
drew  and  enchained  the  attention  of  the  whole  class  was  the  evi- 
dent presence  and  working  of  an  uncommon  mind,  combined 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


5 


with  the  self-conscious  assurance  that  he  had  something  to  say 
and  he  knew  how  to  say  it.  The  moment  he  began  to  scan  a 
passage  in  Virgil  we  felt  from  the  precision  and  exactness  of 
the  utterances  that  a master  was  at  work.  When  he  translated 
the  passage  he  had  always  a clear  and  definite  idea,  which  he 
expressed  in  the  simplest  words  and  the  most  intelligible  sen- 
tences. Every  one  in  the  class  desired  to  hear  what  he  had  to 
say.  This  kind  of  charm  lasted  the  whole  year.  He  stood  out 
above  us  all  as  our  leader.  No  one  disputed  the  fact  that  he 
was  our  brightest  mind  and  most  promising  fellow-student.  It 
is  not  strange  that  the  valedictory  addresses  were  assigned  to 
him  on  the  day  of  our  graduation.  No  one  of  us  thought  of  any 
one  else  for  this  place  of  honor. 

“ When  we  entered  Amherst  College,  the  next  autumn,  it  was 
my  privilege  to  be  brought  into  a closer  relation  to  Mr.  Storrs. 
By  one  of  those  special  and  sad  providences  which  sometimes 
occur  both  of  us  were  deprived  of  our  room-mates.  Thus  we 
came  together  in  a very  unexpected  way,  and  began  an  acquaint- 
ance and  intimacy  which  not  only  lasted  through  college  life, 
but  to  the  day  of  his  death,  growing  stronger  all  the  time.  I 
never  saw  him  in  any  place  where  he  did  not  acquit  himself  as 
a true,  noble,  Christian  man. 

“ One  noticeable  trait  in  the  character  and  life  of  Mr.  Storrs 
was  his  conscientiousness.  He  studied  God’s  word,  and  brought 
all  his  convictions  into  harmony  with  the  teachings  of  those 
blessed  oracles.  There  was  no  moral  philosophy  for  him  except 
that  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  He  saw  into  the  inner  meaning  of 
the  words  of  the  Great  Master,  and  drew  from  them  strength 
and  life. 

“His  conscientiousness  showed  itself  not  only  in  Sunday 
duties,  but  in  week-day  duties  as  well.  There  was  not  a lesson 
assigned  to  the  class  wThich  he  did  not  faithfully  and  honestly 
prepare  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  He  put  his  whole  soul  into 
a grammar  lesson  as  truly  as  he  did  into  the  most  beautiful 
passage  of  Homer.  It  was  sometimes  almost  laughable  to  me 
to  see  how  he  would  discover  a philosophy  in  the  rules  of  pros- 
ody ; but  doubtless  he  did  discover  much  more -there  than  I did. 
It  all  arose  from  the  fact  that  his  whole  soul  was  in  whatever  he 
studied ; he  made  it  a matter  of  conscience  to  strike  to  the  bot- 
tom of  every  subject  with  which  he  grappled,  and  to  do  his  best 
in  the  work  of  every  day. 

“ He  was  very  methodical  in  his  use  of  time.  That  was  one 


6 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


great  element  in  his  success  as  a student.  He  had  no  wasted 
moments.  Perhaps  he  did  not  cultivate  the  habit  of  play 
enough ; he  pursued  his  vocation  too  closely  and  neglected  too 
much  his  avocation.  But  he  had  conscience  about  it.  Time 
was  a precious  treasure  to  him,  and  he  could  not  waste  it. 
Every  appointed  hour  for  study  had  its  work,  into  which  he 
put  his  best  strength. 

“Mr.  Storrs  had  the  joy  of  a good  conscience.  His  very 
countenance  showed  it.  There  was  nothing  evil  in  his  eye, 
nothing  sinister  in  the  expression  of  his  face.  If  he  had  said 
or  done  anything  wrong  or  unbecoming,  he  had  no  rest  till  sat- 
isfaction was  made  and  peace  was  restored  to  his  conscience. 

“Another  noticeable  trait  was  his  intellectual  breadth  and  acu- 
men. There  was  not  another  man  in  the  class  who  so  quickly 
and  completely  grasped  a subject  given  us  for  study  as  he  did. 
His  mind  worked  with  great  rapidity,  and  it  struck  down  to  the 
lower  strata  of  thought.  It  was  interesting  sometimes  to  see 
him  in  the  recitation-room  when  he  evidently  saw  further  into 
the  subject  than  the  teacher  did.  Also  his  power  to  group 
things  and  show  their  differences  and  mutual  relations  was 
quite  unusual.  His  brain  was  large  and  of  the  best  quality, 
and  it  was  thoroughly  under  his  control,  so  that  no  ordinary 
mind  could  cope  with  him.  His  gift  of  language  was  extraor- 
dinary. His  translations  in  the  class-room  were  often  of  such 
high  order  that  they  would  have  been  elegant  English  if  they 
had  been  written  as  they  fell  from  his  lips.  I do  not  know  that 
he  ever  wrote  a line  of  poetry,  but  he  was  full  of  the  poetic 
sense.  The  nice  harmonies  of  words  he  felt  in  every  part  of 
his  nature,  and  he  could  bring  out  the  hidden  powers  of  their 
meaning,  and  marshal  them  forth  into  sentences  as  few  mortals 
can.  He  excelled  as  a student  in  all  the  great  branches  of 
study.  If  you  were  in  the  mathematics  with  him,  you  would 
think  that  he  was  well  at  home  there.  If  you  studied  the  an- 
cient classics  with  him,  you  would  say  that  he  was  certainly 
now  where  he  was  doing  his  best.  If  the  subject  of  study  were 
mental  and  moral  philosophy,  you  would  say  those  branches 
were  his  specialties.  I knew  him  long  and  intimately,  and  can 
hardly  tell  what  his  special  gift  was.  He  seemed  to  have  all 
gifts.  I think,  however,  the  department  of  language  was  more 
to  his  taste  than  any  other ; but  he  would  have  been  a rare 
scholar  in  anything,  had  his  physical  constitution  enabled  him 
to  work  his  brain  to  the  maximum  of  its  capacity. 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


7 


“ He  made  the  curriculum  studies  his  first  duty  in  college,  as 
every  wise  student  will ; but  he  found  time  for  not  a little  gene- 
ral reading  besides.  He  knew  how  to  get  the  best  books  on  the 
best  subjects,  and  he  understood,  what  is  a rarer  gift,  how  to 
read  a book  to  the  best  advantage.  Macaulay’s  ‘Essays’  was  a 
favorite  book  of  his  in  college.  The  flowing  style  of  Macaulay, 
as  well  as  many  of  the  subjects  treated,  was  congenial  to  him. 

“I  would  also  say  a word  about  Mr.  Storrs 'as  a friend. 
Thirty-six  years  was  I intimate  with  him,  and  I never  knew 
him  false  to  a trust,  never  discovered  that  he  failed  to  do  what 
could  reasonably  be  expected  of  him  in  any  situation,  never 
heard  him  utter  an  unkind  or  uncharitable  word  about  his 
friends,  nor  ever  saw  him  when  he  would  not  sacrifice  self  for 
the  good  of  others. 

“ The  Latins  called  a friend  an  alter  ipse.  Such  Mr.  Storrs 
regarded  his  friends.  We  felt  sure  that  we  could  trust  him, 
for  our  interests  were  made  his  own.  His  imprudences  would 
not  harm  us,  for  he  was  not  imprudent.  His  heart  would  not 
grow  cold  and  forget  us,  for  his  affections  were  warm,  strong, 
and  deep.  He  would  not  leave  us,  choosing  others  in  our 
stead,  for  fickleness  was  no  part  of  his  nature  Prosperity 
did  not  warm  the  ardor  of  his  devotion;  adversity  did  not 
cool  it.  I do  not  think  he  had  many  dear  friends.  He  was 
friendly  to  all,  but  to  a few  he  was  everything  which  the 
precious  w ord  friend  can  mean.  The  very  depth  and  intensity 
of  his  affection  would  limit  it.  When  with  those  whom  he 
trusted  he  threw  off  reserve  and  opened  his  heart  and  mind 
most  freely,  you  could  see  all  he  was  in  spirit  and  temper,  as 
well  as  in  habit  and  life.  But  the  more  deeply  and  truly  we 
knew  him  the  greater  was  our  respect  and  love  for  him.  Hav- 
ing been  with  him  in  all  the  experiences  of  nearly  two  score 
years  I cannot  recall  an  instance  when  he  was  lacking  in  sym- 
pathy, in  help,  in  encouragement,  in  sincere  congratulation,  as 
became  a high-minded,  unselfish,  genuine  friend. 

“ Another  trait,  and  one  which  I would  particularly  emphasize, 
was  his  religious  character.  This  was  the  crown  of  all  with 
him.  Not  religiousness,  but  religion,  pure  and  undefiled, 
characterized  him.  Not  a word  of  cant  fell  from  his  lips  ill 
conversation  or  in  prayer.  Morning  and  evening  in  our  student- 
room  have  I knelt  with  him  and  heard  him  pour  out  his  heart 
in  supplication,  and  I have  heard  him  speak  in  the  class  prayer- 
meeting and  in  the  larger  assemblies  of  the  students  engaged 


8 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


in  religious  services,  but  I never  heard  an  insincere  or  perfunc- 
tory word  fall  from  his  lips.  His  heart  was  always  in  what  his 
mouth  uttered.  He  was  6 an  Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  was  no 
guile.’ 

“ His  love  for  the  sacred  Scriptures  was  noticeable  even  in  col- 
lege. He  had  been  trained  up  in  the  oracles  of  God,  and  he 
made  the  truths  in  them  the  stimulus  and  solace  of  his  soul  as 
well  as  the  guide  of  all  his  life.  He  would  often  by  a single 
remark  irradiate  a passage  of  Scripture  and  help  one  into  a 
deeper  and  truer  meaning  of  it  than  he  had  had  before.  He 
possessed  what  Wordsworth  calls  4 that  inward  eye  which  is  the 
bliss  of  solitude.’  He  saw  deeper  into  truth  and  higher  than 
ordinary  mortals  do. 

“ In  later  years  Mr.  Storrs  knew,  for  a time  at  least,  what  it 
was  to  wrestle  with  doubts.  His  mind  was  troubled  somewhat 
with  speculations,  and  he  felt  like  changing  in  some  degree  the 
fundamentals  of  Christian  doctrine,  as  he  had  held  them.  But 
in  his  college  days  the  spectre  of  doubt  did  not  haunt  him. 
His  life  was  one  of  a sweet  glad  faith  in  the  Son  of  God ; he 
accepted  the  sacred  Scriptures  as  the  inspired  word  of  God, 
and  able  to  make  us  wise  unto  salvation,  and  the  whole  system 
of  evangelical  truth  was  the  delight  and  joy  of  his  soul.  He 
enjoyed  sermons  which  were  plain,  practical,  spiritual,  pungent. 
He  liked  conversation  which  helped  him  to  walk  more  closely 
with  God,  and  to  enter  more  deeply  into  the  spirit  and  life  of 
Jesus.  His  religion  was  not  a speculation,  a matter  of  the 
head,  but  it  took  root  deep  and  strong  in  the  heart,  controlled 
the  will,  guided  the  conscience,  and  regulated  the  life.  I do 
not  mean  to  hint  that  there  was  ever  a time  in  his  life  when  all 
this  was  not  true.  What  I would  convey  is  that  during  his 
college  life,  the  period  of  which  I am  particularly  speaking, 
these  things  were  true  in  a marked  degree.  The  period  of 
doubt  comes  to  every  active  mind  some  time.  It  came  to  him 
later  than  it  often  comes,  and  he  passed  through  it  triumph- 
antly, coming  out  of  it  rooted  and  grounded  more  firmly  than 
ever  in  the  faith  of  eternal  life  through  the  crucified  One. 

“Much  more  could  I say  of  one  so  dear  to  me,  and  who 
shone  out  in  our  college  days  as  an  intellectual  star  of  great 
magnitude..  He  was  a favorite  of  all  his  classmates.  He  led 
us  in  scholarship,  and  no  one  disputed  the  position  which  he 
held  when  the  highest  honors  at  our  graduation  were  given  to 
him.  He  was  every  inch  a man,  and  we  all  knew  it.  Had  his 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


9 


physical  endowments  equalled  his  mental,  or  had  the  college 
enjoyed  then  what  it  has  so  liberally  provided  now,  a good 
gymnasium,  so  that  muscle  and  nerve  adequate  to  so  strong 
and  active  a mind  could  have  been  developed,  Richard  Salter 
Storrs,  of  Longmeadow,  would  have  become  a scholar  and  a 
man  of  great  renown  in  our  land.  As  it  was,  the  brain  was  too 
large  for  the  body,  and  all  his  life  he  worked  at  a fearful  dis- 
advantage. 

“ But  the  battle  is  ended ; the  crown  is  won.  What  trials  he 
had  to  contend  with  in  bodily  weakness  few  of  us  will  ever 
know ; but  the  day  will  reveal  it,  and  we  shall  all  say  that  he 
was  a hero  in  suffering  and  a victor  in  life’s  conflict.” 

Descended  from  a long  line  of  ministers,  heir  to  a rich  in- 
heritance of  mental  and.  moral  qualities,  the  one  ambition  of 
Mr.  Storrs  up  to  the  time  of  his  graduation  “had  been  to  pur- 
sue the  family  calling  of  preaching.  His  failure  to  do  this  from 
ill  health  was  the  great  disappointment  of  life  with  him,  and 
this  is  the  key  that  unlocks  much  of  his  after  character,  though 
from  his  sister’s  misfortune  he  became  deeply  interested  in  deaf- 
mute  instruction.” 

Upon  that  work  he  entered  in  September,  1853,  and  from  that 
time  until  1884,  with  the  exception  of  two  years  (1864-1866) 
during  which  he  held  a professorship  in  the  National  Deaf-Mute 
College,  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  he  was  a teacher  in  the  American 
Asylum,  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  where  he  impressed  himself  upon 
the  school,  and  upon  the  whole  profession,  and  did  much  by 
his  example  and  by  his  written  and  spoken  words  to  advance 
the  cause  of  deaf-mute  education.  For  the  excellence  of  its 
present  methods  of  instruction  the  American  Asylum  owes 
more,  directly  and  indirectly,  to  Richard  S.  Storrs  than  to  any 
other  one  man. 

For  the  following  facts  regarding  the  connection  of  Professor 
Storrs  with  the  National  Deaf-Mute  College  at  Washington,  I 
am  indebted  to  Dr.  E.  M.  Gallaudet,  its  President : 

“ Professor  Storrs  began  his  duties  in  the  College  at  Wash- 
ington in  September,  1864.  He  was  the  first  instructor  in  the 
College.  His  professorship  was  at  first  that  of  Linguistics, 
but  in  1865  he  assumed  the  chair  of  Mental  Science  and  Eng- 
lish Philology. 

“During  the  closing  months  of  1865  Professor  Storrs  suf- 
fered much  from  insomnia,  and  his  health  was  impaired  to  such 
a degree  as  to  lead  him  to  propose  to  sever  his  connection  with 


10 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


the  College.  His  services,  however,  were  so  highly  valued  that 
he  was  urged  to  devote  himself  for  a time  to  the  solicitation  of 
funds  for  the  endowment  of  scholarships  in  the  College,  in  the 
hope  that  a relief  from  the  confining  work  of  the  class  room 
might  lead  to  the  re-establishment  of  his  health. 

“ His  efforts  to  collect  funds  for  the  College  were  crowned 
with  very  considerable  success,  and  his  health  was  much  im- 
proved. The  pressure  of  considerations  of  a family  nature, 
however,  to  urge  his  return  to  New  England  was  so  strong  as 
to  induce  him  to  resign  his  position  in  the  summer  of  1866, 
that  he  might  resume  his  connection  with  the  American  Asylum 
at  Hartford. 

“ Professor  Storrs,  though  identified  with  the  work  of  the 
College  for  a short  period  only,  rendered  very  important  service, 
especially  in  the  assistance  he  gave  in  arranging  its  course  of 
study.  His  counsel  was  uniformly  and  strongly  that  the  or- 
ganization of  the  College  should  be  assimilated  as  closely  as 
possible  to  that  of  American  colleges  in  general.  In  this  he 
upheld  my  own  views  against  quite  serious  but  unsuccessful 
efforts  in  the  Board  of  Directors  to  establish  a low  standard 
for  graduation  from  the  College.” 

The  impression  which  Mr.  Storrs  left  upon  the  minds  of  those 
who  came  under  his  instruction  will  be  seen  from  the  following 
words  from  the  pen  of  Professor  J.  B.  Hotchkiss,  formerly  a Col- 
lege student  under  Mr.  Storrs,  but  now  a member  of  the  College 
faculty : 

“ The  impression  produced  by  Mr.  Storrs  in  the  College  class- 
room was  that  of  an  earnest  and  sympathetic  teacher.  To  the 
young  men  of  his  classes  he  was  a fellow-seeker  after  knowledge, 
and  the  most  devoted  among  them  was  not  as  enthusiastic  as 
he  in  the  investigation  of  the  matter  in  hand.  Quick  to  per- 
ceive the  difficulties  of  those  he  was  leading,  he  was  painstak- 
ing and  patient  in  his  efforts  to  show  the  right  way  to  overcome 
them ; yet,  while  none  could  be  more  gentle  and  helpful  than 
he  with  the  slowness  arising  from  natural  disadvantages,  the 
one  requisite  he  exacted  from  all  was  that  they  should  be  as 
eager  to  receive  instruction  as  he  was  to  impart  it.  Dullness 
he  could  readily  forgive ; listlessness  was  the  one  unpardonable 
sin.  A yawn  during  a recitation  was  an  impossible  perform- 
ance for  him,  and  a sleepless  night  was  scarcely  a sufficient 
excuse  for  this  breach  of  class-room  decorum  on  the  part  of  a 
student.  He  could  easily  overlook  blunders  arising  from  excess 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


11 


of  zeal  or  a misapplication  of  vigorous  thought,  or  perhaps  see 
something  to  praise  in  them ; but  blunders  from  carelessness  or 
inattention  aroused  a serious  remonstrance — a remonstrance 
which  he  was  careful  to  address  to  the  offender’s  sense  of  reason 
and  justice,  and  which,  for  greater  effectiveness,  he  usually  de- 
livered in  private.  With  these  qualities  he  easily  awakened  a 
responsive  earnestness  and  enthusiasm  in  the  young  men  under 
him,  and  so  made  his  instruction  of  the  highest  benefit.” 

It  was  my  privilege  to  enjoy  the  intimate  friendship  of  Mr. 
Storrs,  and  to  be  closely  associated  with  him  in  professional 
work  for  eighteen  years,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  I can  bear 
testimony  to  his  rare  success  in  his  chosen  field  of  labor. 

As  a teacher  of  deaf-mutes  he  had  no  superior  and  few,  if 
any,  equals.  He  loved  the  work,  and  was  an  enthusiast  in  his 
profession.  His  rare  natural  endowments  and  rich  mental  ac- 
quirements were  made  to  do  full  service  in  behalf  of  his  pupils. 
Freely  had  he  received ; freely  did  he  give. 

Beady  in  the  invention  of  devices  and  fertile  in  expedients  to 
aid  the  understanding  of  his  pupils,  he  brought  ideas  to  their 
minds  with  great  rapidity,  clearness,  and  force.  Systematic  in 
everything,  he  always  knew  just  what  he  had  taught  and  how 
he  had  taught  it.  Every  new  principle  naturally  followed  what 
had  gone  before  and  paved  the  way  for  that  which  was  to  follow. 
So  he  knew  for  what  errors  his  pupils  were  to  be  held  sharply 
to  account,  and  what,  as  errors  of  ignorance,  were  to  be  over- 
looked and  ignored,  until  the  principles  involved  in  the  mis- 
takes were  reached  in  natural  sequence. 

By  this  course  the  pupil  at  once  saw  the  reason  for  such  cor- 
rection and  his  own  culpability  for  his  error.  His  attention  was 
not  distracted  by  that  which  was  beyond  his  comprehension,  but 
was  concentrated  upon  that  which  he  easily  understood.  He  saw 
that  no  unreasonable  thing  was  required  of  him  ; that  it  was  pos- 
sible for  him,  by  exercising  his  judgment  and  his  reason,  to  avoid 
certain  classes  of  errors  and  to  enlarge  constantly  the  firm  ground 
on  which  he  stood.  His  courage  was  kept  up,  and  success  in- 
spired his  enthusiasm. 

Mr.  Storrs  had  the  happy  faculty  of  turning  mistakes,  even, 
to  good  account,  when  they  were  thoughtful  ones  rather  than 
those  of  carelessness,  the  odium  of  the  errors  being  thrown  upon 
the  irregularities  and  incongruities  of  the  English  language 
rather  than  upon  the  pupil,  who  learned  what  his  mistakes 
were  and  the  correction  for  them  without  being  disheart- 


12 


Richard  Salter  Storrs . 


ened  by  them.  It  sometimes  seemed  as  if  this  rare  teacher 
drew  more  courage  for  himself  and  more  hope  for  his  pupils 
from  those  mistakes  (perhaps  we  might  better  say  failures  to 
conform  to  the  English  idiom)  which  showed  an  active  and 
thoughtful  mind  than  from  the  correct  sentences  which  might 
be  mere  products  of  the  memory,  while  the  mind  was  almost 
inactive  or  ran  in  a rut. 

Mr.  Storrs  was  a thorough  believer  in  the  effectiveness  of 
visual  aids  in  the  instruction  of  all  pupils,  and  of  their  pre- 
eminent value  in  the  teaching  of  deaf-mutes.  Many  such  helps, 
and  covering  every  branch  of  study  which  he  taught,  were  de- 
vised by  him.  With  an  entire  absence  of  that  spirit  of  selfish- 
ness which  sometimes  has  led  teachers  to  keep  to  themselves 
expedients  and  devices  of  their  own  invention,  he  generously 
gave  the  benefit  of  all  such  aids  to  any  who  could  use  them 
for  the  good  of  deaf-mutes. 

Yery  early  in  his  course  as  an  instructor  Mr.  Storrs  worked 
out  a system  of  diagrams  for  grammatical  analysis,  which  have 
proved  to  be  an  invaluable  aid,  when  judiciously  used,  in  the 
acquisition  of  a clear  understanding  of  the  grammatical  con- 
struction of  the  English  language. 

Gifted  to  a rare  degree  with  the  language  faculty,  master  of  a 
rich  diction,  Mr.  Storrs  had  a fluency  in  the  use  of  language, 
which  enabled  him  constantly  to  give  his  pupils  a great  variety 
of  illustration  in  written  language,  which  gave  them  practice 
like  in  kind  to  that  of  their  more  favored  hearing  friends, 
though  inevitably  far  separated  from  it  in  degree. 

Then,  too,  he  made  language  a living  thing  to  his  pupils  by 
seizing  upon  the  every-day  occurrences  of  life  and  presenting 
them  in  written  language. 

In  all  his  teaching  Mr.  Storrs  came  down  to  the  plane  occu- 
pied by  his  pupils,  and  took  them  by  the  hand  to  lead  them  to 
that  which  was  higher.  So  he  inspired  them  with  hope,  courage, 
strength.  He  worked  out  a course  of  systematic  instruction  in 
language  specially  adapted  to  the  use  of  deaf-mutes — a course 
of  careful  sentence  building,  which  has  been  used  in  the  younger 
classes  of  the  American  Asylum  for  several  years  with  very  satis- 
factory results,  securing  to  a marked  degree  immunity  from 
what  are  commonly  known  as  “deaf-mutisms.”  It  also  secures 
a comparatively  even  development  of  a class,  a most  important 
point  to  be  gained. 

While  Mr.  Storrs  was  remarkably  thorough  and  methodical 


THE  LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  CF  ILLINOIS 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


13 


in  his  school  work,  as  in  everything  else  which  he  undertook, 
yet  he  was  removed  as  far  as  possible  from  everything  that 
savored  of  machine-like  methods  of  teaching.  His  versatility 
and  fertility  enabled  him  to  make  even  the  old  ever  fresh  and 
new,  and  so  he  could  work  over  the  same  ground  again  and 
again,  until  the  dullest  had  mastered  it,  without  ever  wearying 
the  brightest. 

The  chief  aim  of  Mr.  Storrs,  as  a teacher,  was  to  train  his 
pupils  to  independent  thought.  He  was  a keen  student  of  the 
human  mind,  and  if  he  saw  vigorous  mental  action  and  right 
processes  of  reasoning  he  sometimes  carried  his  admiration  of 
success  in  that  line  so  far  as  to  make  too  little  account  of  accu- 
racy in  results,  provided  the  method  of  reaching  them  was  right, 
particularly  in  arithmetical  work.  This  was  all  the  more  re- 
markable, since  he  was  so  particular  and  so  exacting  of  accu- 
racy from  himself  in  every  minute  detail. 

As  a disciplinarian  Mr.  Storrs  was  eminently  successful.  He 
demanded  from  every  pupil  in  his  class  diligence,  faithfulness, 
and  cheerful  submission  to  authority.  Quick  to  read  the  feel- 
ings of  his  pupils,  he  possessed  an  iron  will,  which  was  satisfied 
with  nothing  short  of  entire  and  unconditional  surrender  to  it- 
self. Insubordination  of  spirit,  even  where  there  was  outward 
obedience,  he  could  not  endure.  It  troubled  him  in  school  and 
out  of  it.  It  disturbed  him  by  day  and  robbed  him  of  his  sleep 
at  night.  There  was  no  peace  for  him  but  through  complete 
victory.  This  result  he  strove  earnestly  to  reach  by  moral 
means.  The  manliness,  the  reason,  and  the  moral  perception 
of  his  pupils  were  all  called  to  his  aid,  and  all  must  fail  before 
sterner  means  would  be  brought  into  requisition.  Love,  not 
fear,  was  the  means  chiefly  relied  upon  for  influence  over  his 
pupils,  though  he  could  use  severity  as  a last  resort. 

The  relation  of  Mr.  Storrs  to  his  pupils  was  that  of  intimate 
friendship.  He  inspired  in  them  both  love  and  admiration  for 
himself.  He  entered  into  their  feelings  and  saw  things  from 
their  standpoint.  The  hard,  dry  drill  of  class  work  was  con- 
stantly relieved  by  a play  of  wit  and  humor,  which,  while  never 
allowed  to  lead  the  class  into  serious  disorder,  yet  kept  them 
wide  awake  and  in  the  best  of  spirits,  sharpening  their  wits  and 
quickening  their  perceptions.  Listlessness  and  inattention  were 
almost  unknown  there. 

Mr.  Storrs  was  warmly  interested  in  the  spiritual  welfare  of 
his  pupils,  and  earnestly  endeavored  to  cultivate  in  them  sensi- 


14 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


tiveness  of  conscience  and  religious  principle.  The  earnestness 
of  his  prayers  for  them,  at  the  teachers’  weekly  meetings,  his 
colleagues  will  not  soon  forget.  His  chapel  exercises,  both  on 
the  Sabbath  and  at  the  opening  of  the  school  on  week  days, 
were  always  broad,  clear,  forcible,  and  earnest,  and  were  in- 
teresting and  instructive  to  the  older  portions  of  the  school, 
but  were  apt  to  shoot  over  the  heads  of  the  younger  pupils. 
This  was  done  designedly  with  the  idea  that  the  older  pupils 
should  be  given  the  best  which  they  were  capable  of  receiving, 
and  that  the  younger  ones  would  grow  to  an  appreciation  of  bet- 
ter things  and  take  their  turn  later  in  their  school  course. 

As  a sign-maker  Mr.  Storrs,  though  lacking  in  ease  and 
grace,  was  always  precise,  clear,  fluent,  and  forcible.  But  signs 
used  either  by  himself  or  by  others  came  in  the  course  of  years 
to  have  a strange  effect  upon  his  fine  nervous  organization. 
At  times  they  were  very  repugnant,  almost  loathsome  to  him. 
He  could  scarcely  endure  the  sight  of  them.  There  were  times 
when  it  was  a burden  to  talk  even  with  his  beloved  sister,  whose 
society  was  usually  such  a delight.  There  were  times  when 
his  nerves  were  particularly  sensitive,  in  which  sign-making 
would  so  work  upon  them  that  to  conduct  the  chapel  exercises 
on  the  Sabbath  would  be  almost  sure  to  cause  two  or  three 
sleepless  nights.  There  would  come  occasions  in  the  midst  of 
a fluent  discourse,  when  it  would  seem  to  him  as  if  he  could  not 
proceed  further,  but  must  stop  short.  Yet  he  was  a perfect 
master  of  the  sign-language,  and  none  could  use  it  with  more 
fluency  and  force.  So  strong  was  this  feeling  upon  him  that 
he  felt  that  he  could  not  endure  the  nervous  strain  of  the  chapel 
exercises,  and  for  years  he  seldom  appeared  upon  the  chapel 
platform,  but  performed  all  his  duties  there  through  a sub- 
stitute. 

Yet,  in  spite  of  this  nervous  effect  of  sign-making  upon  him- 
self, Mr.  Storrs  was  a radical  believer  in  the  invaluable  service  of 
signs  in  the  instruction  of  the  deaf,  and  no  teacher  used  them 
more  effectively  than  he.  He  believed  that  signs  were  and  must 
be  the  foundation-stone  of  all  successful  education  of  genuine 
deaf-mutes  as  a class. 

In  regard  to  articulation  he  held  very  decided  views,  conceding 
that  there  was  a place  for  it  in  the  instruction  of  the  deaf,  but 
maintaining  that  it  should  be  confined  to  cases  in  which  prac- 
tical benefit  could  be  derived  from  it,  or,  in  other  words,  to 
the  semi-mute,  the  semi-deaf,  and  a few  exceptional  cases  of 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


15 


the  congenitally  deaf,  showing  phenomenal  aptness  in  acquir- 
ing that  branch.  He  had  watched  the  progress  of  articulation - 
teaching  for  years,  and  formed  his  conclusions  deliberately. 
How  thoroughly  he  explored  the  whole  ground,  the  readers  of 
the  Annals  do  not  need  to  be  informed,  and  even  those  who 
have  reached  conclusions  diametrically  opposed  to  his  must  con- 
cede that  he  had  thoroughly  examined  the  subject  from  both 
sides,  and  was  able  to  give  a reason  for  the  faith  that  was  in  him. 

Mr.  Storrs  was  a valuable  counselor.  His  mind  possessed 
rare  analytical  power,  and  worked  with  surprising  rapidity, 
grasping  the  salient  points  of  a question.  It  seemed  to  look 
at  all  sides  of  a subject  at  once,  and  to  understand  the  bearing 
of  it  in  every  direction.  It  seized  upon  the  broad  general  prin- 
ciple which  lay  at  the  foundation  of  every  question,  and  viewed 
it  from  that  standpoint.  When  his  conclusions  were  reached, 
he  could  state  them  with  remarkable  clearness  and  force.  On 
the  other  hand,  when  he  wished  to  conceal  his  opinions  and  yet 
felt  called  upon  to  speak,  no  man  could  say  nothing  in  more  ele- 
gant phrases  than  he. 

Mr.  Storrs  was  a man  of  very  strong  prejudices  and,  occa- 
sionally, in  questions  which  affected  himself  or  his  interests, 
he  could  neither  see  nor  be  persuaded  to  believe  that  the  shield 
had  a silver  side  as  well  as  a golden  one. 

Without  faults  Mr.  Storrs  was  not,  but  who  of  us  is  1 Idio- 
syncrasies he  had  which  grew  upon  him  in  ]ate  years,  and 
sometimes  proved  very  trying  to  his  friends ; but,  as  we  look 
back  upon  them  now,  we  can  see  that  they  were  largely  the  re- 
sult of  an  inherited  superabundance  of  nerves  and  of  the 
progress  of  an  insidious  disease,  disturbing  the  balance  of  his 
mind,  and  we  attribute  them  to  that  rather  than  to  the  man. 

Overwork  in  the  winter  of  1883-84,  following  the  long  and 
severe  strain  caused  by  the  sickness  and  death  of  his  mother, 
brought  on  his  old  trouble,  insomnia,  from  which  he  had  suf- 
fered occasionally  nearly  all  his  life.  This  was  still  further 
aggravated  by  the  illness  and  death  of  his  beloved  Aunt  Eunice, 
whose  departure  preceded  his  by  only  a few  weeks.  The  dis- 
ease reached  a point  where  it  could  not  be  checked.  It  marched 
wTith  steady  tread  to  its  inevitable  result,  the  dethronement  of  the 
reason,  and  deprived  of  responsibility  our  friend  went  unbidden, 
but  we  must  believe  not  unwelcomed,  to  his  Maker’s  presence. 

JOB  WILLIAMS,  M.  A., 

Principal  of  the  American  Asylum , Hartford , Conn. 


16 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


[Mr.  Storrs’  pastor  at  Longmeadow,  a neighbor  and  friend  of  many 
years,  contributes  the  following  memorial :] 

It  seems  fitting  that  the  tribute  you  desire  from  me  to  the 
memory  of  my  beloved  friend  should  begin  with  that  beautiful 
September  afternoon  when  we  gathered  at  his  home  to  perform 
the  last  sad  rites  of  burial.  Rev.  Dr.  S.  G.  Buckingham,  his 
former  pastor  at  Springfield,  offered  prayer  at  the  house ; his 
cousin,  Rev.  Dr.  R.  S.  Storrs,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  conducted  the 
final  service  at  the  grave,  and  his  pastor’s  address  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

Beloved  Feiends:  The  wise  man  saith,  “A  word  fitly  spoken,  in  due 
season,  how  good  is  it.”  Would  that  help  from  above  might  be  given  me 
to  speak  that  word.  And  yet,  how  far  beyond  what  we  can  see  now,  or  at 
present  understand,  is  the  knowledge  of  his  ways  that  are  past  finding  out. 
God’s  laws  indeed,  which  hold  the  body  and  the  mind  in  such  a wonderful 
mystery  of  connection  while  we  are  in  this  earthly  tabernacle,  must  have 
their  working  out,  and  sometimes  in  great  disaster — in  terrible  catastrophe, 
in  an  encircling  gloom.  The  cyclone  will  come,  the  consuming  conflagra- 
tion, the  destroying  pestilence,  and  sometimes,  appalled  by  the  fearful 
dangers  that  beset  us,  our  faith  is  almost  shaken ; we  cry  out — almost  in 
despair — Does  our  Father  live  ? Does  He  see  ? And  then  we  remember 
Gethsemane — the  strong  crying,  the  bloody  sweat.  We  think  what  He, 
the  only  begotten  and  dearly  beloved,  suffered  once  for  us — how  He  was 
smitten  and  afflicted,  and  yet  was  heard  in  that  He  feared,  and  how  He  who 
hath  overcome  the  world  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us ; and  then 
we  say,  our  trembling  faith  reassured,  Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done. 
Even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemeth  good  in  thy  sight.  And  then  the  divine 
assurance  comes,  “All  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  who  love 
God.”  Beloved,  although  God’s  laws,  working  out  their  sure  results  in 
the  great  disaster  before  which  we  stand  appalled,  must  needs  unsettle  in 
due  time  the  mind  of  him  who  could  not  sleep — although  the  morbid  im- 
pulse which  he  dreaded,  as  he  would  the  tiger’s  leap,  did  spring  upon  him 
and  did  overcome  him — yet  we  have  this  sure  comfort : He  did  love  God. 
That  assurance  belongs  to  us,  “All  things  work  together  for  good  to  them 
who  love  God,”  and  that  is  enough  to  lead  us  out  of  this  encircling  gloom, 
and  all  our  journey  through.  And  as  to  the  mysteries  of  God’s  providence 
that  must  ever  be  interwoven  with  our  earthly  history,  what  we  see  not 
now  we  shall  see  hereafter.  From  what  an  earthly  future  of  mental  woe, 
worse  than  death,  that  sudden  release,  which  we  would  have  prevented  if 
we  could,  delivered  our  dear  friend,  we  know  not.  It  is  best  that  we 
should  not  have  such  prescience. 

It  is  not  for  me  at  this  sad  hour  to  recount  the  thronging  memories  of 
brighter  days ; to  trace  along  the  years  gone  by  our  loving  intercourse  ; 
to  pour  out  the  treasures  that  for  those  who  loved  him  are  laid  up  in 
heaven.  Would  that  to  me  were  given  that  gift  of  song  which  enabled 
Alfred  Tennyson  to  weave  that  beautiful  tribute  to  his  friend  Arthur 
Henry  Hallam.  To  us  who  know  how  that  wondrous  lyric,  the  “In  Me- 
moriam,”  was  woven  into  the  very  tissues  of  the  life  and  soul  of  Salter 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


17 


Storrs,  its  thoughtful  stanzas  will  have  evermore  a tenderer  and  deeper 
meaning.  How  is  everything  about  us  inseparable  from  him ! How  does 
everything  bear  the  impress  of  his  heart  and  mind — that  sensitive  spirit, 
that  fine-grained  nature — without  its  faults  ? — oh,  no ! — but  those  faults,  as 
they  are  softened  now  in  the  mellow  light  of  all  his  days,  the  earlier  and 
brighter  days  of  so  many  precious  memories,  as  well  as  the  later  days  of 
shattered  nerves  and  distressful  apprehensions,  and  morbid  impulses — how 
tenderly  we  view  them,  how  they  melt  away  as  do  the  morning  mists ! 
How  does  the  memory  of  our  friend,  whose  earnest  face  we  shall  see  no 
more,  whose  pleading,  pathetic  voice,  of  late  so  intoned  with  fears,  we 
shall  hear  no  more,  bring  him  up  before  us — himself,  the  real  man,  our 
fellow-citizen,  who  has  so  identified  his  life  with  ours,  the  last  among  us 
to  bear  an  honored  name,  to  represent  in  male  descent  that  noble  lineage 
of  godly  ministers  who  wrought  in  their  eventful  days  our  foundation- 
stones.  How  does  this  ancestral  home,  the  old  parsonage,  in  its  every 
adornment,  every  convenience,  every  picture  upon  the  walls,  speak  of 
him — these  trees  that  he  planted,  this  orchard,  and  garden,  and  verdant 
lawn.  Yonder  church,  every  stone  and  timber  and  inscription,  speaks  of 
him.  Yonder  cemetery,  in  all  its  coming  improvements,  whose  perpetuity 
he  has  secured — it  will  be  his  memorial— the  beautiful  volume  of  our  Long- 
meadow  history,  which  bears  on  every  page  the  enduring  mark  of  his  lov- 
ing care  and  finish  of  detail,  both  in  choicest  diction,  the  finest  use  of 
English,  of  which  he  was  a master,  and  in  its  local  illustrations,  for  which 
we  are  all  indebted  to  his  thorough  and  persistent  loyalty — not  to  himself, 
but  to  himself  as  one  of  us.  We  shall  never  open  that  beautiful  book 
without  remembering  him.  and  that  with  tears.  We  shall  read  and  read 
again  that  “Address  of  Welcome,”  one  of  the  finest  gems  of  literary  skill, 
and  the  finest  sense  of  what  was  due  to  such  a day  and  such  an  hour,  and 
to  the  old  Mother  Longmeadow.  And  as  we  read  it  we  shall  recall  him, 
not  as  now,  not  as  in  these  later  days  of  morbid  trembling  and  gloomy 
apprehensions,  but  as  he  stood  before  us  and  all  that  grand  assembly,  the 
man  that  he  really  was — our  gifted  and  honored  citizen,  a workman  of 
whom  we  were  not  ashamed. 

But  there  are  memories  still  tenderer  and  more  sacred — too  sacred  for 
the  handling  of  even  his  truest  friend  in  any  public  presence.  And  yet, 
standing  where  I do,  in  this  beloved,  cherished  home,  oh,  how  fondly 
cherished — who  had  the  home  feeling  more  than  he  ? — I must  recall,  what 
we  his  neighbors  all  knew,  as  did  the  inmates  of  this  home,  his  singular 
devotedness  as  a son,  a brother,  and  a nephew.  What  a home  he  made 
for  his  parents  in  their  declining  years,  for  his  Aunt  Eunice,  for  his  sisters 
and  especially  for  his  dear  Sarah — by  reason  of  her  physical  disabilities, 
so  tenderly  and  assiduously  beloved.  And  it  was  this  link  that  bound  him, 
far  beyond  the  motives  of  a professional  and  generous  and  Christian  phil- 
anthropy, to  the  deaf  and  dumb.  His  affection  for  his  pupils  was  per- 
sonal and  all  embracing  and  intense,  the  same  mind  that  was  in  Christ, 
that  passion  for  humanity,  with  which  the  Master  loved  His  own  and  loves 
them  unto  the  end.  It  was  his  longing  and  hope,  cherished  up  to  the 
last,  to  resume  his  Hartford  work,  and  to  continue  it  so  long  as  God  might 
give  him  strength.  * * * I said  that  he  loved  God.  I might  mention 

recent  scenes  of  prayer  too  sacred  for  public  view,  in  which  he  united 


18 


Richard  Salter  Storrs. 


with  broken  voice  and  a childlike  trust  with  those  who  knew  and  loved 
him  best.  The  morning  that  he  died  he  led  the  family  devotions  as  was 
his  custom.  I hold  in  my  hand  a touching  evidence  of  his  love  and  trust, 
a paper  found  in  a private  drawer  and  dated  only  two  weeks  ago.  It  is  a 
form  of  consecration,  and  thus  it  reveals  his  inner  life. 

“ My  blessings  are  very  many.”  He  proceeds  to  particularize  them  with 
the  simplicity  of  a little  child.  ‘ ‘ I must  trust  God  that  He  will  enable  me 
to  overcome  my  nervous  wakefulness,  and  so  do  my  various  duties. 

‘ ‘ What  are  these  duties  ? 

“ My  first  duty  is  to  keep  myself  in  faith  and  trust  upon  God — to  main- 
tain a filial  personal  relation  to  Him. 

“ My  second  duty  is  to  do  all  I can  for  my  dear  sister  Sarah,  as  a loving, 
helpful  brother. 

“ My  third  duty  is  to  continue  the  personal  influence  of  my  ancestors  in 
this  community  by  keeping  up  this  home,  and  doing  good  as  I have  oppor- 
tunity among  my  neighbors. 

“ My  fourth  duty  is  to  use  my  experience  and  time  in  teaching  at  Hart- 
ford, if  God  gives  me  strength. 

‘ ‘ My  fifth  duty  is  to  use  my  talents  in  writing  for  the  press  in  some 
way,  if  I can  do  it  in  addition  to  the  others. 

‘ ‘ May  God  help  me  to  be  continually  thankful  for  all  my  blessings,  to 
trust  implicitly  in  Him  for  all  needs,  and  to  be  earnest  and  faithful  in  the 
discharge  of  all  my  duties,  and  may  He  accept  the  consecration  of  myself 
which  I now  try  to  make  at  this  important  crisis  of  my  life. 

‘ ‘ Infinitely  loving  and  holy  Father  in  heaven ! Blessed  Saviour  and 
divine  Brother!  With  the  Holy  and  Sanctifying  and  helping  Spirit!  The 
One  Divine  Nature  and  Being  whom  I adore ! 

“ To  Thee  and  Thy  service  I would  now  give  myself  wholly  and  forever. 

‘ ‘ I would  be  Thine  only,  Thine  always. 

“I  would  love  Thee  supremely. 

“ I would  obey  Thee  lovingly  and  continually. 

“ I would  serve  Thee  with  my  whole  heart,  with  all  my  powers  of  mind 
and  body. 

“ I would  earnestly  desire  and  strive  to  put  all  my  trust  in  Thee  above 
for  all  I need  in  this  world  and  in  the  world  to  come. 

“I  need  pardon.  Be  Thou  pleased  to  pardon  all  my  sins  in  the  past 
and  in  the  future,  by  giving  me  true  penitence  for  them  and  a sincere 
desire  and  effort  to  overcome  them. 

“I  need  a deep  sense  of  the  divine  love  in  the  Father  and  in  the  Son. 
Be  Thou  pleased,  O Father  in  heaven,  to  reveal  Thyself  to  me  more  and 
more  as  a God  of  infinite  purity  and  love.  Be  Thou  pleased,  O Saviour, 
to  reveal  Thyself  to  me  more  and  more  as  a perfect  Saviour  from  Sin  as 
well  as  from  its  punishment.  Be  pleased  also,  O Holy  Spirit,  Comforter, 
and  Helper,  to  reveal  Thyself  to  my  inmost  spirit  as  Sanctifier  and  con- 
stant presence  and  power  to  purify  and  strengthen,  and  so  may  the  divine 
peace  and  strength  fill  my  heart  and  pervade  my  life  henceforth  and  for- 
evermore. 

“Amen  and  amen,  even  so  let  it  be,  dear  Lord  and  Saviour. 

“Longmeadow,  Aug.  Ylth,  1881.” 

The  reading  of  this  paper  concluded  the  address. 


Richard  Salter  Storrs . 


19 


The  testimony  that  appears  in  this  consecration  is  of  a piece 
with  much  more  of  similar  import  that  belongs  both  to  the  writ- 
ten and  unwritten  history  of  his  life,  beginning  with  his  early 
boyhood,  but  space  will  not  permit  of  further  extracts  here. 

The  love  of  nature  grew  with  Mr.  Storrs’  advancing  years 
into  an  enthusiastic  passion.  Not  alone  in  the  present  did  he 
drink  in,  with  everjT  joyous  sense  attuned,  the  beauties  of  the 
outward  world,  but  he  laid  them  up  as  treasures  of  his  memory. 
Among  his  papers  are  left  diurnal  records  of  his  vacation  tours, 
which  extended  far  and  wide,  and  in  which  he  sought  out  the 
places  of  greatest  interest,  both  in  cities  and  the  country.  The 
carriage-rides  of  many  days’  continuance  which  I have  taken 
with  him  were  full  of  the  purest  enjoyment,  made  richer  by  his 
glowing  appreciation  of  natural  beauty,  his  keen  insight  in  the 
intercourse  with  men,  his  thoughtful  conversation,  and  his  over- 
flowing sense  of  humor.  In  lonely  spots,  when  both  nature  and 
man  failed  to  interest,  some  choice  author  was  in  his  hand,  and 
particularly  Tennyson,  his  favorite,  and  above  all  the  “ In  Me- 
moriam,”  which,  by  loving  familiarity,  had  become  inwrought, 
even  unconsciously,  into  his  spiritual  being,  tinging  with  its 
subtle  and  dreamy  optimism  his  theology.  Although  anchored 
at  last  by  his  Puritan  lineage  and  training  to  the  fundamental 
doctrines  of  the  Evangelical  and  New  England  type,  yet  was 
his  cable  long  and  free  in  its  swing,  as  he  thought  carefully  for 
himself,  and,  while  always  reverential  and  conservative  in  ex- 
pression, pursued  his  own  lines  of  thought  to  conclusions  of 
his  own ; and  these  were  somewhat  more  liberal  in  their  trend 
than  the  Calvinistic  atmosphere  of  the  old  Longmeadow  par- 
sonage would  heartily  sustain. 

Returning  from  this  digression  to  those  frequent  excursions, 
which  lent  brightness  and  color  to  his  life,  otherwise  too  sub- 
jective and  monotonous  in  its  daily  routine  of  teaching  the 
deaf,  there  are  letters  written  to  his  deaf-mute  sister  Sarah, 
which  reveal  not  only  their  primary  and  beautiful  intention  to 
transfigure  her  solitary  life  with  a brother’s  love  and  cheer,  but 
are  wonderful  specimens  of  picturesque,  vivid,  and  vigorous 
writing.  They  describe  at  length,  and  with  a piquant  minute- 
ness and  true  perspective  that  makes  them  photographic,  such 
scenes  as  the  second  inauguration  of  President  Lincoln,  the  rais- 
ing of  the  old  flag  at  Fort  Sumter,  the  reception  at  Savannah  of 
the  news  of  Lincoln’s  assassination,  with  other  vivid  portrayals 
of  the  Southern  attitude  in  various  places  at  that  juncture,  and 
the  Grand  Review  at  Washington.  Mr.  Storrs’  fine  insight  and 


20  Richard  Salter  Starrs. 

keen  observation  regarding  the  prominent  characters  of  those 
dramatic  days  have  left  such  graphic  descriptions  in  these  fa- 
miliar letters  as  are  worthy  of  a permanent  place  in  the  litera- 
ture of  that  eventful  time. 

The  affectionate  qualities  of  his  domestic  nature  wrere  de- 
veloped through  his  unwedded  life  in  the  rare  beauty  and  assid- 
uity of  his  filial  and  fraternal  love,  an  affection  which  embraced 
also  his  Aunt  Eunice,  and  in  due  proportions  all  his  kindred. 
The  old  parsonage,  which  returned  to  the  family  after  the  de- 
cease of  his  Uncle  William,  he  renovated  and  adorned  with  a 
loving  and  reverential  fondness,  studying  with  exquisite  taste 
how  to  preserve  its  ancient  characteristics  in  harmony  with 
modern  conveniences,  and  gathering  up  the  old  family  relics 
into  its  historic  chambers,  and  covering  their  walls  with  ven- 
erable portraits,  while  adding  to  them  the  memorials  of  a later 
generation. 

A sentiment  kindred  to  his  domestic  affections  led  him  to 
enter  heartily  into  the  village  improvements  of  the  old  church- 
yard cemetery,  for  the  perpetual  care  of  which  he  was  instru- 
mental in  establishing  a cemetery  fund  under  the  care  of  an  in- 
corporated association ; improvements  also  of  the  village  green 
in  grading  and  tree  planting ; the  thorough  reconstruction  of 
the  ancient  church  edifice,  to  which  he  contributed  liberally, 
and  gave  his  laborious  assistance  as  a member  of  the  Parish 
Committee.  He  was  also  a liberal  and  systematic  contributor 
to  the  various  causes  of  Christian  benevolence.  The  recent 
Centennial  Celebration  of  October  17,  1883,  owed  a large  share 
of  its  grand  success  to  his  skilful  tact  as  the  presiding  officer % 
and  the  fine  eloquence  of  his  “Address  of  Welcome.”  And 
above  all  was  his  public-spirited  usefulness  as  a citizen  com- 
pleted and  rounded  out  in  the  “Longmeadow  Book,”  that  beau- 
tiful civic  memorial  from  whose  every  page  shines  out  his  loving- 
care,  literary  and  historic  skill,  and  perfect  taste.  It  will  remain 
his  fitting  and  enduring  monument,  and  an  honor  to  the  town 
in  whose  service  he  spent  so  many  of  his  last  toiling,  anxious, 
and  sleepless  days. 

Many  things  more  would  I gladly  speak  of  my  dear  friend 
and  beloved  helper  did  your  space  permit. 

“ Rest  for  the  toiling  hand, 

Rest  for  the  anxious  brow.” 

And  so  “ He  giveth  His  beloved  sleep.” 

Rev.  JOHN  W.  HARDING,  v 
Longmeadow , Mass. 


